Our vegetable of the month for July 2021 is broccoli. Broccoli is such a versatile vegetable it was hard to select only two recipes. After an extensive search, I decided to prepare Roasted Broccoli and Tofu with Creamy Miso Dressing and Chicken Broccoli Shells.

Last August, we featured a delicious Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup recipe in “The Twelve Months of Soup. If you are in the mood for soup, here is the link, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2021/8/3/august-2021-in-the-twelve-months-of-soup-by-fran-joyce

Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family. It’s an edible green plant with a flower-like head, a thick stalk, and minimal leaves. Broccoli can be eaten raw or cooked. It’s delicious steamed, fried, roasted, boiled, baked, or pureed in soups and sauces.

Broccoli is low in calories and a rich source of Vitamins C and K. Raw broccoli also contains moderate amounts of  several B Vitamins and the mineral manganese. Raw broccoli is 89% water and contains negligible fat.

Here is the link for the recipe for Roasted Broccoli and Tofu with Creamy Miso Dressing,

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-broccoli-and-tofu-with-creamy-miso-dressing

First, let me say that roasted broccoli is brown and a little wilted looking. It’s not pretty and green like raw or steamed broccoli, but it is delicious. This recipe is simple to make,  and you could easily prepare the broccoli in an air fryer. The recipe calls for raw Brussels sprouts, but the next time I make this I will roast them with the broccoli along with roasted onions, carrots and/or sweet potatoes. Instead of using green olives, I used capers. For the creamy miso dressing, I found that a little goes a long way and I only used about half of it. Keep an eye on your tofu while you are roasting it with the broccoli, so it doesn’t dry out. Enjoy!

I made this second recipe for my son James, and I adapted the recipe using a plant-based substitute for chicken from Deliciou for me. Stuffed shells are easy but can be time consuming and messy to make. Typically, when I make stuffed shells, I cover them with sauce. This recipe calls for all of the alfredo sauce to be added to the stuffed shells mixture. You sprinkle cheddar cheese and shredded parmesan over the top. We also added fresh coarsely-ground pepper to the recipe. For softer shells, I would use more sauce. This recipe reheats well, and the leftovers were delicious.

Here is the link for the recipe,  https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-broccoli-shells/

For August 2022, our vegetable of the month will be potatoes

The Twelve Months of Vegetables

January is Cabbage - Mahi Mahi Soft Tacos

February is Zucchini - Chocolate Zucchini Bread

March is Leeks - Colcannon

April is Carrots - Gingered Carrots & Kale Ribbons and Carrot Cake

May is Beets - Quinoa Burgers and Vegan Poke Bowl w/Beets

June is Kale - Tuscan White Bean Soup & Sweet Potato and Noodles & Garlic w/Kale

July is Broccoli - Roasted Broccoli & Tofu w/Creamy Miso Dressing and Chicken Broccoli Shells

August is Potatoes

September is Green Beans     

October is Spinach

November is Corn

December is Asparagus